Hello all,
Long story short, I haven't been able to get out on a proper "offroad" ride for around 3 months.
My nerve is going (or gone) on steep descents, what's the best way to get it back?
I'm thinking- just go for it on my first ride out,
the skill's still in there somewhere,
and only a few months back I was going down some really steep stuff.
Maybe it'd be better to ease myself back into it, ooer!
So, any thoughts?
Cheers

dont panic.
carry on riding and enjoying yourself, it will return.

Mine waxes ad waines depending on my mood – sometime when I have pent up frustration I nail the descents (gnarly like) but when I am in a big group of feelin kinda in self pres. mode I an a nancy – just keep riding and step up the descents – maybe follow a better rider – that always helps unles they are miles ahead in skill/balls 😉

Mine had gone after dislocating my shoulder. Shoulder still not fully healed but it started to come back last ride. Unfortunately it was a wet snowy slushy slippy mess. Went with it though and really enjoyed the ride.
So, making the obvious observation that my experience will be exactly repeated by everyone else, after a while mincing about it will suddenly click again. Bit like it does some days and doesn't others anyway.

Don't just "go for it". Take your time and ride lots.

I don't get to ride for a few months each winter and it always feels a bit weird getting back into it in the spring. (Especially having the pressure of getting back to bike-guide-ninja status by June!).

try night riding, things look differently and 'that' descent can look alot easier when you cant see it all

Try and ride with someone who is the same level as yourself. You'll see them do a decent, and then you'll know its possible and have a go yourself.

Its just a case of getting your confidence back, which is a small step by step process. Just get out and ride, and have fun (thats what its all about) and the skillz will come back.

Cheers guys,
my usual riding buddy is itching to hit the trails again soon.
He provided the shove in the back I needed to nail the descents months back,
so reckon I'll be calling him into action soon.

Darren, I posted this a few minutes ago on a thread asking about skills courses and if they are worth it. possibly more suited to this one though..

Well worth a course IME but must be the right one for you.

I developed a problem with rocky technical type descents and effectively stopped riding ones I had ridden in the past? no reason, just spooked.

One particular for some mad reason I'd ridden many times without a single mis-hap for example was off The Pike at Rivignton, one bit of it I'd HAVE to get off and walk. No idea why.

I did a skills course with Ed-O (Great Rock) and rode the same bit I had problems with a few weeks after the course and didn't even see the bit that used to put me off? so did it again and still couldn't even see what had bothered me.

Same happened at Gisburn on that rocky drop in the woods with the step in the middle of it. I couldn't ride it on my enduro when I first saw it but a bit of gentle coaching from Ed saw me flying down it on my hard tail.

I ripped down it a couple of weeks ago, on the hardtail, with no hesitation, passing a couple of youths looking down it with fear. A cheery "coming through lads" saw me fly past and down the bit that terrified me previously.

Wierd. All in the mind.

the £60 was worth it IMO.

I can't even see the things that bothered me now and knew it was in my head but needed the reassurance it was and not that my Mojo had been nicked.

Nice one, cheers Luke, I'll look into this…

Same happened at Gisburn on that rocky drop in the woods with the step in the middle of it. I couldn't ride it on my enduro when I first saw it but a bit of gentle coaching from Ed saw me flying down it on my hard tail.

Same here. Couldn't see how to get down that step till Ed-O showed us. Now it's never thought of as an obstacle.

Try not to think about it or analize yourself to much, just relax and ease yourself back into it. What tyres are you using? 😉

>analize yourself

😯

Same happened at Gisburn on that rocky drop in the woods with the step in the middle of it. I couldn't ride it on my enduro when I first saw it but a bit of gentle coaching from Ed saw me flying down it on my hard tail.

Which rocky drop is that? Do you mean the relatively steep rocky 'path' in the woods? or is there another bit somewhere else?

I had a few weeks off from riding over christmas, and on my first ride back had no confidence at all. I was getting off and pushing what I previously had no problem riding. Slowly over the last 6 weeks my confidence has grown, and I seem to be riding downhills faster than before.

I reccommend that you just keep on riding regularly, and ride with a as many people as you can, of all abilities. You'll learn a lot from people better than you (without even realising).

allthepies – Member
>analize yourself

As miss spellings go that rather a good one! 😆

I'm variable too but try not to worry about it.

couple of beers at the top!!!

Flippinheckler- I've got panaracer cinders on my bike at the moment.
Think something else would help?
Think I'll try the beer suggestion too! 😀